Most conventional bicycle saddles provide a low degree of comfort, especially for the novice or occasional bicycle rider who assumes an upright position. These conventional bicycle saddles generally are rigid in order to provide the necessary support, and are narrowed towards the front, to accommodate the upward and downward pumping action of the legs and to minimize friction between the legs and saddle, producing a hard, narrow ridge upon which a portion of the rider's weight usually rests. Saddles designed for racing or touring are particularly hard and narrow. Although these saddles typically are used in conjunction with drop handle bars in which the weight of the cyclist is shifted toward, much of the weight of the cyclist still rests on the saddle, and most of this weight is on the hard, narrow forward portion of the saddle. Soreness often results, especially for the novice bicyclist and even for the experienced bicyclist after long periods of riding. This soreness is often aggravated by poor road maintenance, the nearly vertical orientation of the saddle post and rough condition on cobbled or brick roads.
Nonracing bicycles are often provided with wide, soft saddles having coil springs. These saddles are comfortable for novices and for short journeys, but because these saddles require that the rider be in an upright position, because of the greater weight of the saddle, and because of the width of the saddle which causes painful friction with the thighs, such saddles are unsuitable for racing conditions and for long journeys. Much of the support is provided by the edges and the forward, narrower portion of the seat where the cushioning effect of the springs is least. Springs of these saddles are prone to corrosion which is enhanced by the water-absorbing nature of the upholstery. Most bicycle saddles currently available for the general public are a compromise between the hard racing saddles and the wider spring cushion saddles previously described and have many of the problems associated with each.
Pneumatic bicycle saddles although widely known, are not commonly used, because current pneumatic designs generally are incapable of providing both the degree of comfort desired and the rigidity necessary to support the cyclist in a racing configuration. Some known bicycle saddles have inflatable bladders, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 542,613; 579,900; 626,644; 718,850; and 750,571. None of these bicycle saddles is suitable for racing vehicles, because each requires a lower support member against which the cyclist's legs may chafe and because the saddle is much larger, wider and heavier than is desired. In addition, the bladder is often subject to leakage or breakage. A two-piece molded vehicle saddle having a foam cushion, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,153. However, this saddle is not satisfactory for bicycle racing purposes because of its size. French Patent Nos. 76 21551 and 75 11286 each disclose a pneumatic saddle. However, French Patent No. 75 11286 is not sufficiently rigid to provide support for the average rider, and French Patent No. 76 21551 requires the use of a metal plate for support which potentially produces chafing and discomfort to the cyclist, and is too heavy for racing and touring.
While low pressure molding techniques are known for forming hollow articles, such as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,117,172, these techniques have not hitherto been successfully applied to the formation of pneumatic bicycle saddles.